Animated greeting card or folder



April 17, 1956 A. BARKER 2,742,287

ANIMATED GREETING CARD OR FOLDER Filed Aug. .18, 1954l 4 BY fg @Mij/3%' IN V EN TOR.

t 2,742,281 e ANIMATED GREETING CARD oR FOLDER b Alvin Barkencincinnati, ohra e Application August is, 19514,- seiiarNo. 450,656

z Claims. (cruz- 217) This invention relates to improvements in novelty greeting cards or folders and is principally concerned' United 4States Patent t andare clinched` to the exteriorly facing side of said interply. Thisplatehasa pair of `opposed anges and 21v formed thereonvvhich` act as journal bearings for a double crank device generally `identiiied by the numeral' 22. A straight portion 23, of thedevice passes through holes formed in the iianges,l one.end`of said straight portion terminating'in a-manually operatedcrank `24.

. that is normally positioned by fthe plate in anotch 25,

with a positive actuating device for an animated figure` i mounted on the folder between two leaves thereof and including a control therefor that is operated by the opening action of the folder.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide a simplified wind-up motor and drive connection with the animated ligure of a folder having the foregoing characteristics which has a wind-up crank means that also serves as the control for release of the energy stored in the motor when the folder is opened.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel noise making means for a folder having the aforementioned features.

The invention consists of the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved greeting `card Vor folder whereby certain advantages are obtained and the card rendered simpler, less expensive to manufacture yet more positive and attractive in its action, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I'have devised the folder construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a greeting card or folder in opened position showing the figure animating device therefor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental plan view of the greeting card shown in Fig. 1 with the animated figure removed and a part of the inner sheet section cut away.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section takeny on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The embodiment of my invention comprises a greeting card or folder 5 constructed from a sheet of paper, or the like, upon which a portion of the picture and a greeting message is.printedsaid sheet being creased lengthwise at 6, and creased crosswise at 7 to form two multi-ply sections 8 and 9 foldable flatwise upon each other on the saidcrease line 7. The interior ply of the section 9 is indicated by the reference numeral 10, whilst the exterior ply is identied by the numeral 11. Each section 8 and 9 ispreferably provided with a stiifening interply 12 and 13, respectively, that is made of a at sheet of cardboard, or the like. The internal faces of the sheet sections are adhesively secured to the adjacent faces of their respective interplies to provide a composite folder structure.

An animated figure such as the caricature of a bird 14 is pivotally mounted on the interior side of the foldable section 9 and is adapted to form a part of lthe picture printed on the sheet. To this end a headed fastener 15 is passed through the lower part of the figure 14 and has its legs 1,6-16 extending through the interior ply 10, said legs being bent outwardly to secure the fastener to formed in thev upper edge,of. thexsection` 9 near the, sec-' tion fold line 7 (Fig. 3). The opposite end of the straight portion 23 is connected to a U-shaped crank 26 that is positioned for movement in a rectangular opening 27 formed entirely through the section 9, the terminal endof the said crank being provided with a short portion 28 in axial alignment with the straight portion 23 and formed with a hook 29 at its end for engagement with a rubber band 30. The rubber band is passed through two holes 31-31 punched in the lower edge portion of the interply 13, said holes being open to the.- edge by interconnecting slits 32--32. A cutout 33 is made in the interply 13 to accommodate the rubber band and its thickened convolutions when it is in twisted, wound up condition.

The crank 26 is connected to the animated gure 14 by a link 34 in the formof a strip of paper doubled on.

itself around the crank and securedtogether by a staple 35, the end of the link being pivotally connected to the underside of the upper end portion of the figure 14 by a headed fastener 36. e

In operation the folder is held in the open position shown in Fig. 1 and the crank 24 is grasped and turned a number of times until the rubber band 30 is wound up sufficiently to provide potential energy for animating the figure 14. The folder is then closed such that the section 8 will be atwise against the section 9. In this position section 8 will form a stop for both cranks 24 and 26 thus confining them Within their respective notch 25 and hole 27. When the greeting card or folder is opened the cranks are released and the energy stored up in the wind-up motor will actuat'e the double crank andrapidly oscillate the figure 14 on its fixed pivot 15 .through its link connection 33 with the crank to animate the gure. It will also be particularly noted that crank 26 rotates in a plane normal to the plane of the section 9 and to the gure 14, so that the figure is not only oscillated in the plane of the section but vibrated in a direction normal to the section thus causing the figure to rapidly hit the section causing a staccato or noise that is startling to an unsuspecting person that opens the greeting card or folder provided with my animating device.

From the above explanation it will be seen that the invention lends itself to various cards, folders, and books and that various modifications can be made in the animating mechanism without departing from the scope of the appended claims. l

What is claimed is: v i

1. A novelty greeting card comprising an illustrated sheet folded centrally along a crease line to form a 'base section and a pivoted section, stilfening means for each section, said base section having a notch formed in an edge thereof and an opening formed therethrough at a place inthe section that is removed inwardly from the notch, a double crank mounted on the base with its wind-tup. memberV located in the notch and its drivev member disposed in the opening-a resilient windup motor means secured to the base section and having an operative connection With the crank, an animated iigure pivot ally mounted ori the insideface ot the base section, and a link having one` endcon-neetedto the drive member of the crank andits opposed en d secured to the figure, said crank rnorribers.l being conneda within their respective notch and opening in thebase section bythe pivoted sectionwhen the sections ao-re irl-proximate fae-to-face positions andfreo to be rotated'therein when the sections are in. opened positions.

2,; A novelty greeting cardcomprising an illustrated;

` sheet folded uponlongit-udinal and lateral crease linesto provide abase section and a pivoted` section each having a twoply body portion, a stiffening interply for at leastthe 'Dasesection, said composite base section having a notch formed in an cdgofthereoiand anV opening formed therethrough at a-place inlits body removed inwardly from the notchg a mounting. plate fastened on the interpl-y; between the notch andthe opi-:ningl inthe section, a double crank journaled in the plate with its wind-up member loeatedin the notch andv its drive member disposed in the opening, a rubber band secured at one end to the edge portion of the interply opposed to the edge containing the notch, means for operatively connecting the inner end of the band to the double crank, an animated gure pivotally mouted on the inside face of the base section and having a portion. thereof overlying the opening in thensection, and. a linky having one end connected to the drive member of the crank and its opposed end Secured t0 the figure, said, crank members being confined within their respective notchA and, opening in the base section bythe proximate position of' the pivoted and base sections and vfree to be rotated therein when the sections are in opened positions.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

